Organic health products were few and far between about twenty years ago and were usually only available at specialty stores. Some of the more “crunchy” types bought these products, but the mainstream resisted. Now, the industry has made great strides due to increased awareness about the importance of organics.
Organic Health Products More Popular Than Ever
The sale of organic products is a billion dollar industry. The United States leads the way, followed by the UK then Japan. What does all this mean? The consumer is getting savvy about what they put in and on their bodies.
Cosmetics and skin care has always been a multimillion dollar industry. With the addition of organic beauty and skin care products, sales are better than ever. Unfortunately, with the popularity of organic products comes the problem. What is truly organic?
Companies have been getting by with a thoroughly inadequate definition of “organic” for far too long. They consider any compound in their product that contains carbon atoms to qualify as organic, which is hardly ethical. We all know that carbon is a basic building block of all life on earth. But, toxic chemicals can contain carbon as well. So what's a savvy consumer like you to do?
Read labels. The front of the shampoo or moisturizer may say it contains palm oil, but how much? If we see it listed on the back amongst the ingredients that’s good enough for us. Ingredients on labels must be listed in order of the amounts of each that are contained in the product. You may see palm oil on the label, but if it is at the bottom, then that means that there is actually very little in the preparation, and may contain mostly water. What’s more, the product is not as organic as it appears to be. Most of the ingredients are actually not good for your skin or hair and can be hurting you instead of helping.
Large national chains such as Target, Walgreen’s, Kohl’s, and Wal-Mart now carry certified organic skin care products. These products and more are easy on the pocketbook and wonderful for your body and certainly convenient, it's no longer necessary to drive across town to the health food store. You can also buy them online at places like EarthMamaAngel Baby, ShopNatural and NaturesGrocer. How convenient!
Organic encompasses more than food, it's a lifestyle. Choosing organic helps us inside and out, and helps thank our earth for all it has supplied to us.
